The golden age of superjumbo jets is counting down, as Qantas will retire all Airbus A380s ahead of schedule.

Recently, Qantas Group officially announced that it will gradually retire all 10 of its Airbus A380 aircraft starting in 2028, about four years earlier than originally planned. Multiple media analyses and commentaries have noted that this is not a simple fleet adjustment, but a collective farewell by the entire aviation industry to the "era of large aircraft." Qantas had originally planned to begin retiring the A380 from 2032, with replacement aircraft being more fuel-efficient Airbus and Boeing jets. However, because the delivery schedule for the new-generation aircraft was "full of confidence," it ultimately decided to retire them earlier. It is expected to save about A$300 million in net cash flow in the fiscal years from 2028 to 2031. The A380 made its maiden flight in 2007 and ceased production in 2021 due to high fuel consumption, high maintenance costs, and insufficient passenger demand. In the coming years, the A380 may still be seen, but the golden age of superjumbo aircraft has already entered its final countdown.